The on-going diplomatic feud in the Persian Gulf pitting Qatar against a coalition of Arab states led by Saudi Arabia has already disrupted regional affairs to a significant extent: economic blockades, rejected airspace and closed embassies are just a few features of this sudden, somewhat unexpected rift between Doha and the rest of the Gulf. Triggered by a hack of Qatar’s state website (a cybercrime which investigations have confirmed originated in the United Arab Emirates) that portrayed the country’s ruler as supporting the Islamic Republic of Iran, the feud is largely fueled by anger in Riyadh and other Arab capitals over Qatar’s independent foreign policy, particularly its alleged backing of terrorist groups and its relationship with Tehran. An economic blockade on Qatar has not had a serious impact on the country’s ability to export natural gas, though there remains some risk it could force Doha to stray from OPEC’s […]